In Scandinavian literature, "fairy tale" refers to traditional folk narratives that nobody believes to be true to life, and to imaginative literature written in imitation of such stories. In the first sense of the term, fairy tales are an important folklore genre, while the second definition is best exemplified by the tales and stories of Hans Christian Andersen, published between 1835 and 1858. Fairy tale characters and motifs have also been used by other writers. Per Daniel Amadeus Atterbom's fairy tale play Lycksalighetens o (1824—1827; The Isle of Bliss), for example, is one of the major works of Swedish romanticism. Fairy tale motifs have also been used ironically, as in Marta Tikkanen's novel Rodluvan (1986; Little Red Riding Hood).
Historical Dictionary of Scandinavian Literature and Theater. Jan Sjavik. 2006.